{"id":77579,"date":"2013-03-17T12:00:22","date_gmt":"2013-03-17T12:00:22","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.colombotelegraph.com\/?p=77579"},"modified":"2013-03-25T11:54:48","modified_gmt":"2013-03-25T11:54:48","slug":"the-british-tourist-is-shocked-and-upset-after-being-deported-from-sri-lanka-for-displaying-a-buddha-tattoo","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.colombotelegraph.com\/index.php\/the-british-tourist-is-shocked-and-upset-after-being-deported-from-sri-lanka-for-displaying-a-buddha-tattoo\/","title":{"rendered":"The British Tourist Is ‘Shocked And Upset’ After Being Deported From Sri Lanka For Displaying A Buddha Tattoo"},"content":{"rendered":"

By Colombo Telegraph<\/a><\/span> –<\/strong><\/p>\n

A British tourist is “shocked and upset” after being deported from Sri Lanka for displaying a Buddha tattoo on his arm, the BBC<\/a><\/span> reports.<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a>

Ratcliffe got the tattoo in Burma, and says it was not something he took lightly | Photo BBC<\/p><\/div>\n

According to the BBC, Antony Ratcliffe, 42, from Nottingham, was turned back at Colombo’s main airport on Friday for allegedly showing a lack of respect for Buddhism.<\/p>\n

The authorities are tough on perceived insults to Buddhism – the religion of the island’s majority ethnic Sinhalese.\u00a0<\/span>But Ratcliffe says the “inoffensive” body art was meant as a tribute.<\/span><\/p>\n

“As soon as he saw it the chief officer went crazy. You could see it on his face, he looked really angry and said I would have to go back to London.They took my passport and held me there for an hour and a half. All the time they were bringing people in to look at my arm, and they were shaking their heads.\u00a0<\/span>I was explaining my case, pleading basically, and the chief officer just told me to ‘shut up, shut up’ and he refused to talk to me.”\u00a0Ratcliffe told the BBC.<\/span><\/p>\n

“I like the artwork in tattoos obviously and, due to my belief in Buddhist philosophy which I have followed for many years, I thought a quality tattoo of the Buddha was rather apt.” he further said.<\/p>\n

According to the BBC, more than 100,000 British citizens visited Sri Lanka in 2012, accounting for 10% of the total number of tourists. The UK is also the country’s second-largest trading partner after India.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

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